Celebrating 30 Women of Influence this Women's History Month

Florencia Giordano, Director of Program Operations, Mindr
Florencia Giordano manages the delivery of impactful programming to bring employee communities together and foster mentorship, engagement and belonging in the workplace at Mindr. Prior to joining Mindr, she managed the City of New York’s initiative focused on empowering women entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses, and supported the Red Cross’ humanitarian diplomacy engagements at the United Nations. As an economic development practitioner with over a decade of experience, she is passionate about building innovating solutions to foster social inclusion, create a positive impact, and empower women and minorities. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, she currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. About the importance of community, Florencia says: "Strong women uplift communities, challenge the status quo and create new systems."

Nemu Manjezi, Global Markets Diversity Advocate, Citi
Nemu is Citi's Global Markets Diversity Advocate. Global Markets has trading floors located in over 80 countries across America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, partnering with leading corporations, financial institutions and governments to provide solutions, insights, liquidity and risk management support when and where they are needed. Nemu has deep experience across Citi’s Corporate Banking and Markets institutional businesses. She has been at Citi for 23 years, and her motivation continues to be centered around seeing people reach their full potential. Through her work, Nemu has worked to inspire others “to continue to shape their destinies.”

Nicole Fanjul, Partner, Latham & Watkins
Nicole Fanjul is Co-Deputy Office Managing Partner for the New York office of Latham & Watkins. She represents lenders in a variety of complex financings, with a particular focus on syndicated leveraged finance and direct lending transactions. She has particular experience handling cross-border transactions, including leveraged and investment grade financings, and advises clients in the development of creative solutions using a range of loan products. Nicole has also been a trailblazer for women and parents in the legal sphere. She shares: “We are still working to shake the old notions of what the balance of work and family should look like in a traditionally male-dominated workplace. People are sometimes surprised that I am the one in power, and it can be uncomfortable initially when that reality does not meet their expectations."

Susan Schuh, Human Factors Engineer Lead, NASA/Aegis Aerospace
Susan Schuh is a Human Factors Engineer at NASA / Aegis Aerospace leading the International Space Station (ISS) Operational Habitability team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC). Susan and her team support all ISS astronaut debriefs capturing, analyzing and sharing lessons learned across NASA for the benefit of current and future spaceflight programs. With over 20 years of experience, Susan is an expert in spaceflight habitability & human factors and human systems integration. She is also the founder and chair of JSC Parenting, JSC’s working parent network with 325+ members. Susan is shooting for the moon: her vision is to “make space for parents and caregivers.”

Madge Thomas, Head of CSR and President of the American Express Foundation, American Express
‍Madge Thomas is the Head of CSR and President of the American Express Foundation, where she helps set and execute the vision for the global corporate social responsibility (CSR) program—including its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. She is a passionate changemaker and senior leader in both CSR and international development, with a track record of brokering global partnerships between businesses, governments and nonprofits to support people and planet. Madge shares: "I believe in doing well by doing good and creating a more equitable, sustainable future in our communities and further away. Businesses hold this responsibility but so do each of us as individuals."

Chrysula Winegar, Senior Communications Director, United Nations Foundation
Chrysula Winegar is Senior Communications Director at the United Nations Foundation, and leads the New York office communications team as well as special initiatives including the Global Moms Challenge, Global Goals week and Social Good Summit. Previously she founded Wake Up World Communications, a digital communications agency focused on social action campaigns. Chrysula has developed campaigns and digital strategy for the United Nations Foundation, Fox Searchlight, EngenderHealth, Family Planning 2020 and many others. What's Chrysula's ultimate goal? She shares: “Growth is the goal of all human beings, especially if we want to succeed at a high level.”

Ashley Evans, Managing Director, The Carlyle Group
Ashley Evans is a private equity investor working with technology executives to drive value creation at scale out of an $18B Carlyle fund. She primarily focuses on buyout and growth equity investments in enterprise software businesses and is currently a member of the boards of HireVue, Jagex, NEOGOV, Saama, TriNetX, Veritas, and ZoomInfo (NASDAQ: ZI). Ashley is also a Co-Founder of SynGAP Research Fund, which is dedicated to addressing the root cause of the rare and debilitating neuro-developmental disorder that affects her little boy. A 2022 book recommendation from Ashley is The Deep Places by Ross Douthat. It is a "powerful personal reflection on the power of empirical experience in an individual patient's suffering, and the imperative to become one's own expert/advocate."

Katrina Paglia, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Capstone
Katrina joined Capstone in 2019 as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, where she is responsible for legal, regulatory and compliance functions and is a member of the Management, Investment, Conflicts and Valuation Committees. Since joining, Katrina has expanded her growing team to a global presence, with its current six lawyers and compliance staff across Capstone’s offices, managing regulatory oversight in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. She is also a culture carrier, as a founding leader of CapNOW, Capstone's Network of Women. Katrina was featured as one of 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds in 2020. How do her colleagues describe her? “Innovative, collaborative, and champion of a positive work environment.”

Mary Kay Gilhooly, Director of Global Wellbeing, Adobe
‍Mary Kay is a leader with broad expertise in strategic global design and program implementation. She has a distinguished track record of developing, enhancing, and managing employee wellbeing initiatives at Adobe and across Fortune 500 companies. Mary Kay seeks to transform the approach to corporate health and wellness by integrating wellbeing into company culture to drive business results. What’s Mary Kay’s vision? “To empower and inspire individuals to take action with effective strategies that will not just look at physical health, but the whole person and overall happiness as well.”

Annabelle Williams, Paralympic Gold Medalist, speaker and founder
Annabelle Williams is the Founder and CEO of Grit & Gold Pty Ltd. Annabelle has worn a number of different hats over the years: international speaker, Paralympic gold medalist, five-time world record holder, corporate lawyer at Allens Linklaters, sports broadcaster, stunt-double for Charlize Theron, and Mum to Josie and Gracie. Annabelle’s life has been full of excitement and she’s cherished every moment, not just because she’s accomplished what she’s set out to do, but because she’s always been grateful for the support she’s had from those around her. What powers the powerhouse that is Annabelle? She says: “I’ve always found strength in my own determination, but at the same time, I feel my life has been so significantly shaped by the empathy and kindness of others.”

Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
‍Beatrice Fihn is the Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning campaign coalition that works to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. She accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and delivered the Nobel Lecture in Oslo on behalf of the campaign. Beatrice has led the campaign since 2013 and has worked to mobilize civil society throughout the development of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. She is a mother of two, and has credited motherhood as a driving force in her journey to the Nobel. Beatrice believes that “feminist foreign policy and gender analysis of what we value in security policy is the key to a more safe world for all.”

Jo Natauri, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
Jo oversees Global Healthcare Private Investing within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, the primary investing area within Goldman Sachs, a global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. Jo oversees a portfolio of investments and serves on the boards, or as an observer on the boards, of several of the firm’s portfolio companies. Prior to assuming her current role in Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Jo was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs for 12 years, where she led coverage of large cap companies in healthcare and other industries. She was named Managing Director in 2008 and Partner in 2012. Jo also serves on the board of Safe Horizon. Jo shares: “It’s important for management teams to be flexible and adapt, because every industry is constantly evolving and changing.”

Kate Luarasi, Corporate Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
Kate is a corporate partner in Kirkland’s Boston office and a member of the Investment Funds Group, specializing in the representation of private credit investment fund sponsors. She is a member of the fund strategy and markets team within the Investment Funds Group, delivering market intelligence and strategic client advisory services relating to private credit and private credit funds. How does Kate convince herself to do hard things? "I tend to set pretty specific incremental goals and avoid analyzing the cost/benefit of hard tasks in between. If something is really and truly off-putting, it helps to consider how the immediate task / project fits into the bigger picture and your goals 6 months, 1 year, 5 years down the line."

Marilyn McDonald, Senior Vice President, Customer Interoperability, Mastercard
Marilyn McDonald is Senior Vice President of Customer Interoperability within Shared Components and Security Solutions (SCSS) in Operations and Technology at Mastercard. In this role she is responsible for delivering business to business experience improvements through Connect - the authentication platform that customers use to do business with Mastercard - bringing one view of Mastercard for their customers, leading the Design and User Research, Customer Data Management, and Product Lifecycle Management groups for SCSS. If Marilyn were to give advice to job-hunting women she would say: “First, apply for the job. You don’t have to be 100% qualified. Don’t think because you haven’t done it, you don’t get to do it.”

Supriya Jha, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, SAP
Supriya Jha is a Diversity and Inclusion subject matter expert at SAP. Supriya has a strong passion for helping communities and organizations to flourish and thrive. She uses her Industrial Organizational Psychology education along with the rich experiences that she has brought from her education in business management, her highly energizing cultural background and a deep spiritual sense of 'karma' to drive her thinking. Before SAP, Supriya was Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at NASDAQ, and founder of Takes A Village, a non-profit initiative connecting 4000+ families in the Jersey City area and one of the largest communities for South Asians in the tri-state area. Supriya urges each of us to “think about how each action, each thought, can impact another being’s value of them.”

Stephany Foster, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Human Resources, QIAGEN
Stephany Foster a member of the QIAGEN Executive Committee and sponsors the Diversity and Inclusion program at QIAGEN. She was named to her current role in October 2019 after working as the Vice President of Compensation and Benefits. She started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Global Risk Management Services. Stephany has a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Internal and Information Systems Auditor (CIA / CISA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Stephany shares: “I am proud to be part of a company that not only talks about the importance of gender diversity in its leadership team but makes it a priority.”

Carolina Jannicelli, Community Impact Team Strategy and Implementation Lead, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Carolina Jannicelli helps run JPMorgan Chase's Community Impact team, governing the firm-wide strategy and implementation of community-level activations for the bank's $30 billion racial equity commitment. She works across the firm's lines of business to integrate strategies based on community input and needs, ensuring impact and progress toward the goal of reducing the racial wealth gap at the city level. She has been recognized as one of ALPFA's 50 Most Powerful Latinas and Crain's Notable Women in Financial Advice. Carolina shares: “If I had to offer one piece of career advice to women, it would be to build a group of friends and mentors who care about you and will give you honest advice."

Ester Fuchs, Professor of International and Public Affairs and Political Science, Columbia University
‍Ester Fuchs is Professor of International and Public Affairs and Political Science and the Director of the Urban and Social Policy Program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. She served as Special Advisor to the Mayor for Governance and Strategic Planning under New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg from 2001 to 2005.  She also directs Communities Speak: Rebuilding the Post-Covid City Through Community Engagement. Ester describes herself as a "pragmatic utopian" and has taught generations of students that effective policy must be informed by data and social values.

Dr. Tzeitel Gutierrez Garralda, Program Manager, Amazon Prime Video
Dr. Tzeitel Gutierrez Garralda is a Program Manager at Amazon Prime Video and is also the transgender engagement lead for glamazon global— working tirelessly to promote diversity and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community across Amazon. Her main focus is to continue providing a sympathetic environment for transgender employees in which they can come out and transition safely and feel supported and valued for their professional and personal contributions. Outside of work, Tzeitel parents two young boys who she raises along with her 10 year partner. One of Tzeitel's role models is Frida Kahlo: "She was going against the grain. That is what makes her so outstanding. She could have just conformed, and we wouldn't be talking about her today. But she was authentic to herself. She was not someone who was quiet. She was in your face."

Mary Ikoku, Lead Consultant, Access Media
‍Mary is a Nigerian Communications Expert, Publisher, Rights Activist, Media & Political Strategist with passion and great interest in Leadership, Good Governance, and the advancement of women and children.  Mary is a respected voice on gender equality and empowerment, education, social justice and leadership matters. Her mission is to help Nigerian women access their individual influence and use it to define their personal and professional attainment - on their own terms. Mary shares: "The new era in Africa involves active stakeholder participation by women. The involvement of women as strategists is one of the many ways we can influence politics and, more specifically, policymaking.”

Kristin Ogdon, Director, Industry Partnerships and Engagement, Microsoft
Kristin drives industry relations, client engagement, brand and experiential marketing for Microsoft Advertising. She is responsible for the strategic brand presence for Microsoft Advertising at large-scale global events, including Cannes, Advertising Week, and CES. Kristin has 20 years of marketing, advertising, and digital media experience across Microsoft, AOL/Verizon Media Group, Sports Illustrated, Time Inc. Media Group, and Leo Burnett Advertising. Kristin is passionate about her work with GLEAM, Microsoft's LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, and with other employee communities at Microsoft. Kristin shares: “Diversity is: I’m different. Inclusion is: I matter.”

Jessica Green, Senior Vice President of Customer Service, Lever
Jessica Green brings 10+ years of personalized software sales and leadership experience, by way of Bullhorn, ToutApp and Marketo. At Lever, she continues to cultivate a sales culture that is both deeply empathetic and delivers results that demonstrate her team is empowered to create a valuable experience for the companies they engage with. Confidence, she shares, is a journey. “Some who have interacted with me may think I am confident but it is the furthest from the truth. I have moments of confidence but true, steady confidence in me, my decisions, has been a challenging path. But today, I feel confident. Confident that I am finding my voice and that being the truest version of me will help to lead an even more purposeful life.”

Jennifer Ketchens, Chief Diversity and Social Responsibility Officer, Sterling
Jennifer Ketchens is a proactive executive with the proven ability to direct, motivate and mentor diverse teams as well as partner with, influence and guide decision-makers across any organization. Jennifer is equipped with extensive experience in creating and implementing global strategies for business transformations, organizational development, employee experience management, diversity & inclusion, and social responsibility. How does Jennifer stay positive? By reminding herself that: “It doesn’t matter what’s been written in your story so far... it’s how you fill up the rest of your pages that counts.”

Melba Tellez, Product Marketing Manager, Google
‍ Melba Tellez is a Product Marketing Manager at Google and the proud founder of Mujeres on the Rise — a community that connects Latina women and provides them with resources and tools to grow their careers and build the life they’ve always wanted. After successfully overcoming many obstacles, such as dropping out of high school at the age of 16 to help her family financially, Melba is now thriving in her career and aims to empower other women to do the same. What to do when you begin to doubt yourself? Melba shares: “There were many times I doubted myself, times where I contemplated giving up, but no matter how many times it crossed my mind, I continued to fight, often feeling like I was swimming against the tide.”

Sherena Masharani, Trainee Solicitor, Centrica
‍Sherena Masharani has a hard-working attitude and a friendly and committed character. She always strives to go above and beyond what is expected and asked from her. Sherena has been Head of Communications and Engagement for VOICE Network at Centrica and author of the 'Amplify' newsletter, which promotes a message of inclusion, shares best practice, and encourages readers to engage with the conversation. Sherena helped co-ordinate the first Diversity and Inclusion event for the Legal team. This event facilitated discussion on how the future of the legal industry could be more inclusive, especially for women. How does Sherena make an impact in the workplace? “I work to care for all colleagues, including female ethnic minority women.”

MyMy Lu, Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Thermo Fisher
Mymy is a proven team leader with experience aligning goals and building cross-functional collaboration. MyMy is also experienced in cultivating relationships and building partnerships for collective impact and demonstrates ability to develop and execute strategy and take ideas from concept to implementation. On the importance of connection, MyMy shares: “I often think about my 'why' and my purpose, and it all goes back to being connected to people.”

Yamini Rangan, Chief Executive Officer, Hubspot
‍A tech industry veteran, Yamini has more than 24 years of experience ranging from product marketing, sales, and strategy. Prior to taking on the Chief Executive Officer role at Hubspot, she was the organization's first ever Chief Customer Officer. Yamini previously served as Chief Customer Officer at Dropbox, where she was responsible for embedding customer focus across the organization. Before Dropbox, she was VP of Sales Strategy and Operations at Workday, where she helped quadruple revenue and scaled the sales organization. Here are three leadership lessons that Yamini has to share: “You can’t assume the way you’ve led in the past will work for you in the future. You have to deeply listen and provide clarity. You need to be authentic to who you are.”

Jaclyn Kessler Starr, Counsel, Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP
‍Jaclyn is Counsel in her firm's Private Funds Practice. She represents domestic and international sponsors in the formation, structuring and ongoing operation of private equity, real estate and infrastructure funds. Returning to Simpson Thacher in 2021, Jaclyn previously served as a Director at Patria Investments, playing a key role in the Brazilian alternative investment firm’s launch of its New York office and North American presence. As a proud supporter of Girls on the Run Jaclyn shares: “Even with a modest financial or time dedication, you can see the concrete ways in which your support matters and fosters the program’s objectives — whether it be through providing scholarships for the program, running shoes to girls who need them or the pure sense of accomplishment of helping a girl finishing her first 5k.”